Murdoch Stewart, 2nd Duke of Albany
Encyclopedia
Murdoch Stewart, Duke of Albany (1362 – 24 May 1425) was a leading Scottish nobleman, the son of Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany and the grandson of King Robert II of Scotland
, who founded the Stewart dynasty. In 1389 he was Justiciar North of the Forth
. In 1402 he was captured at the Battle of Homildon Hill and would spend 12 years in captivity in England
. After his father died in 1420, and while the future King James I of Scotland
was himself held captive in England, Stewart served as Governor of Scotland, until 1424 when James was finally ransomed and returned to Scotland. However, in 1425, soon after James's coronation, Albany was arrested, found guilty of treason, and executed, along with two of his sons. His only surviving heir was James the Fat
, who escaped to Antrim
, Ireland
, where he died in 1429. Albany's wife Isabella of Lennox survived the destruction of her family, and would live to see the murder of James I and the restoration of her title and estates.
Stewart was born in 1362, the only son of Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany (1340–1420) and his wife Margaret Graham, Countess of Menteith
. Duke Robert was a leading Scottish nobleman who was Regent of Scotland at various stages during the reigns of three kings, (Robert II
, Robert III
, and James I
). In addition, Robert held the titles of Earl of Menteith
(28 February 1361), Earl of Fife
(1361; resigned in 1372), Earl of Buchan
(1394; resigned in 1406) and Earl of Atholl
. In addition to exercising considerable power and wealth, the Albany Stewarts were potential heirs to the throne; Murdoch's grandfather was King Robert II of Scotland
, who had founded the Stewart dynasty.
Murdoch Stewart was raised in a large family, having seven sisters:
His mother Margaret died in 1380, and his father Duke Robert married a second time, to Muriella de Keith, with whom he had four children, the elder of whom was John Stewart, 2nd Earl of Buchan
(1381–1424).
In 1389, at around age 27, Murdoch was appointed Justiciar North of the Forth
. Father and son would now work together to expand their family interest, bringing them into violent confrontation with other members of the nobility such as Donald McDonald, 2nd Lord of the Isles
.
Stewart served in Scottish military actions against the English
in the early 15th century and was captured at the Battle of Homildon Hill, which took place on September 14, 1402 in Northumberland
, England
. Led by Archibald Douglas, 4th Earl of Douglas, the Scottish army had invaded England on a pillaging expedition, in part to avenge the killing and capture of Scottish nobles in the Battle of Nesbit Moor
on 22 June 1402. While returning to Scotland, they were intercepted by English forces led by Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland
. The result was a decisive defeat of the Scottish army. William Shakespeare later wrote, in the play Henry IV, part 1
:
Murdoch Stewart (described above as "Mordake the Earl of Fife") would be a prisoner in England for the next twelve years.
Murdoch's Stewart's captivity in England did not prevent his father from ruthlessly pursuing the family interest, often through violent means. In 1402 The Duke of Albany's nephew, David Stewart, Duke of Rothesay
, died in Falkland Palace
while under his uncle's protection. King Robert III of Scotland, fearful that his younger son Prince James, the heir to the throne of Scotland, would suffer the same fate, sent him out of the kingdom to escape Albany's clutches. In 1406 James boarded the Maryenknyght, a ship from Danzig that was bound for France
, but on 22 March 1406 the ship was taken by English pirates off Flamborough Head
and James was delivered as a prisoner to King Henry IV of England
. Soon afterwards, on 4 April 1406 King Robert III
died, leaving Scotland without a King. Prince James, now the heir to the throne of Scotland, would suffer 18 years of detention in England. In his absence the Albany Stewarts took the reins of power, and Murdoch's father, Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany, became Governor of Scotland, king in all but name.
At this time Murdoch Stewart was still a prisoner in England, but in 1416 he was exchanged for Henry Percy, 2nd Earl of Northumberland
, and he returned to Scotland. The Albany Stewarts took James's lands under their own control, depriving the king of income and any of the regalia of his position. James was referred to in the official records as merely 'the son of the late king'.
. He also inherited the Earldom of Fife
and the Earldom of Menteith
, and at last became Governor of Scotland in his own right. He would hold this position from 1420 to 1424, while King James I was still held captive in England. Few serious attempts appear to have been made by Duke Albany to return James to Scotland, but eventually political pressure compelled Murdoch to agree to a general council.
In August 1423 it was agreed that an embassy should be sent to England to negotiate James's release. A ransom treaty of 60,000 marks was agreed at Durham
on 28 March 1424 to which James attached his own seal—he and his queen accompanied by an escort of English and Scottish nobles proceeded to Melrose Abbey
arriving on 5 April where he met Albany to receive the governor's seal of office. Upon the return of James I
to Scotland, Albany lost his position as Regent.
James now began to consolidate his position. His coronation took place at Scone
on 21 May 1424. At his coronation parliament the king—probably with the intent of securing a cohesive political community loyal to the crown—knighted 18 prominent nobles including Albany's son Alexander Stewart.
At this stage, it is probable that the king felt unable to move against the Albany Stewarts while Murdoch's brother, John Stewart, Earl of Buchan and Archibald Douglas, 4th Earl of Douglas were fighting the English in France alongside their Dauphin
ist French allies. Buchan was a soldier with an international reputation, and commanded the large Scottish army of around 6,000 men, a formidable force. In addition he was Constable of France
, making him the effective commander of the entire French army. However, both he and Douglas were killed at the Battle of Verneuil
in August 1424 and the Scottish army was routed—the loss of these Albany allies with their fighting force left Murdoch politically exposed. James would move swiftly against his Albany Stewart relatives soon afterwards.
On 21 March 1425, on the 9th day of the March parliament, the King took his revenge. Murdoch was arrested, along with his younger son Lord Alexander Stewart. Immediately afterwards, twenty-six of the principal nobles and barons in Scotland shared the same fate. Albany was at first confined in the castle at St. Andrews and afterwards transferred to Caerlaverock Castle
. His wife Isabella was captured in the family's fortified castle of Doune
, their favourite residence, and committed to Tantallon Castle
.
The king's rage at Duke Murdoch had its roots in the past. James's older brother David Stewart, Duke of Rothesay
had died young, in Falkland Castle
, while in the care of Murdoch's father, Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany. Though Albany had been exonerated by Parliament, the suspicion of foul play remained. Moreover, neither Duke Robert nor his son Murdoch had greatly exerted themselves in negotiating James's release while in English captivity. This may well have left James with the suspicion that the Albany Stewarts had personal designs on the throne of Scotland.
At this time Albany's other son Walter was already in prison. Only James, Murdoch's youngest son (also known as James the Fat
) was able to escape James's vengeance. He escaped into the Lennox, where he began to organise a revolt, leading the men of Lennox and Argyll in open rebellion against the crown. This resort to violence by Albany's youngest son may have been what the king needed to bring a charge of treason against the Albany Stewarts.
Duke Murdoch, his sons Walter and Alexander and Duncan, Earl of Lennox were in Stirling Castle
for their trial on 18 May 1424, at a specially convened parliament in the presence of the King. An assize of seven earls and fourteen lesser nobles heard the evidence that linked the prisoners to the rebellion in the Lennox—in a hurried trial lasting just one day the four men were found guilty of treason.
The jury which condemned them was composed of 21 knights and Peers, including Albany's cousin Walter Stewart, Earl of Atholl, Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Douglas
, Alexander, Earl of Ross and Lord of the Isles, and Alexander Stewart, Earl of Mar
.
Walter was condemned on 24 May. Albany and his son Alexander were tried before the same jury the following day. All the prisoners were then publicly beheaded on Heading Hill "in front of" Stirling Castle
. Albany was attainted and all of his peerage titles were forfeited. He was buried at Blackfriars' Church, Stirling
.
In the destruction of his close family, the Albany Stewarts, James I was able to secure the substantial rents from the family's three forfeited earldoms of Fife, Menteith and Lennox, a blow from which the Albany Stewarts never recovered.
, daughter of Donnchadh, Earl of Lennox
. They had four sons and a daughter:
Albany's sole surviving male heir was his youngest son, James the Fat
who, after his failed rebellion, escaped to Ireland following the execution of his father and brothers. James remained in Ireland, unable to return, and died there in 1429. He was never able to inherit his father's titles, since they had been declared forfeit. Albany's grandson, James "Beg" Stewart
, (c1410-1470) would eventually secure a pardon from the King and return to Scotland, though the family would never recover their lost estates. James "Beg" Stewart is the ancestor of the Stewarts of Ardvorlich
on Lochearnside, whose family history is recounted by Sir Walter Scott in A Legend of Montrose
.
Albany's wife, Isabella of Lennox, survived the judicial murder of her family, though she was forced to spend eight years as a royal hostage at Tantallon Castle
. In 1437, after the death of James I, she at last recovered her lands and title. In the next few years, although forced to govern her province from Loch Lomond
, she issued a large numbers of charters, was popular in the province, and was tolerated by James's successor, King James II of Scotland
.
Robert II of Scotland
Robert II became King of Scots in 1371 as the first monarch of the House of Stewart. He was the son of Walter Stewart, hereditary High Steward of Scotland and of Marjorie Bruce, daughter of Robert I and of his first wife Isabella of Mar...
, who founded the Stewart dynasty. In 1389 he was Justiciar North of the Forth
Justiciar of Scotia
The Justiciar of Scotia was the most senior legal office in the High Medieval Kingdom of Scotland. Scotia in this context refers to Scotland to the north of the River Forth and River Clyde....
. In 1402 he was captured at the Battle of Homildon Hill and would spend 12 years in captivity in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. After his father died in 1420, and while the future King James I of Scotland
James I of Scotland
James I, King of Scots , was the son of Robert III and Annabella Drummond. He was probably born in late July 1394 in Dunfermline as youngest of three sons...
was himself held captive in England, Stewart served as Governor of Scotland, until 1424 when James was finally ransomed and returned to Scotland. However, in 1425, soon after James's coronation, Albany was arrested, found guilty of treason, and executed, along with two of his sons. His only surviving heir was James the Fat
James the Fat
James Mor Stewart, called James the Fat, was the youngest son of Murdoch Stewart, Duke of Albany and Isabella of Lennox. When his father and brothers were executed by King James I for treason in 1425, James led a rebellion against the king, taking the town of Dumbarton and killing the keeper of...
, who escaped to Antrim
Antrim, County Antrim
Antrim is a town in County Antrim in the northeast of Northern Ireland, on the banks of the Six Mile Water, half a mile north-east of Lough Neagh. It had a population of 20,001 people in the 2001 Census. The town is the administrative centre of Antrim Borough Council...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, where he died in 1429. Albany's wife Isabella of Lennox survived the destruction of her family, and would live to see the murder of James I and the restoration of her title and estates.
Early life
Margaret Graham, Countess of Menteith
Margaret Graham, Countess of Menteith was a Scottish noblewoman. She married four times, becoming Countess of Menteith and, in 1361, Duchess of Albany. Her fourth and last husband was Sir Robert Stewart, 1st Duke of Albany, who would go on to be Regent of Scotland from 1406 until his death in 1420...
. Duke Robert was a leading Scottish nobleman who was Regent of Scotland at various stages during the reigns of three kings, (Robert II
Robert II of Scotland
Robert II became King of Scots in 1371 as the first monarch of the House of Stewart. He was the son of Walter Stewart, hereditary High Steward of Scotland and of Marjorie Bruce, daughter of Robert I and of his first wife Isabella of Mar...
, Robert III
Robert III of Scotland
Robert III was King of Scots from 1390 to his death. His given name was John Stewart, and he was known primarily as the Earl of Carrick before ascending the throne at age 53...
, and James I
James I of Scotland
James I, King of Scots , was the son of Robert III and Annabella Drummond. He was probably born in late July 1394 in Dunfermline as youngest of three sons...
). In addition, Robert held the titles of Earl of Menteith
Earl of Menteith
The Mormaer or Earl of Menteith was originally the ruler of the province of Menteith in the Middle Ages. The first mormaer is usually regarded as Gille Críst, simply because he is the earliest on record. The title was held in a continuous line from Gille Crist until Muireadhach IV , although the...
(28 February 1361), Earl of Fife
Earl of Fife
The Earl of Fife or Mormaer of Fife referred to the Gaelic comital lordship of Fife which existed in Scotland until the early 15th century....
(1361; resigned in 1372), Earl of Buchan
Earl of Buchan
The Mormaer or Earl of Buchan was originally the provincial ruler of the medieval province of Buchan. Buchan was the first Mormaerdom in the High Medieval Kingdom of the Scots to pass into the hands of a non-Scottish family in the male line. The earldom had three lines in its history, not counting...
(1394; resigned in 1406) and Earl of Atholl
Earl of Atholl
The Mormaer of Earl of Atholl refers to a medieval comital lordship straddling the highland province of Atholl , now in northern Perthshire. Atholl is a special Mormaerdom, because a King of Atholl is reported from the Pictish period. The only other two Pictish kingdoms to be known from...
. In addition to exercising considerable power and wealth, the Albany Stewarts were potential heirs to the throne; Murdoch's grandfather was King Robert II of Scotland
Robert II of Scotland
Robert II became King of Scots in 1371 as the first monarch of the House of Stewart. He was the son of Walter Stewart, hereditary High Steward of Scotland and of Marjorie Bruce, daughter of Robert I and of his first wife Isabella of Mar...
, who had founded the Stewart dynasty.
Murdoch Stewart was raised in a large family, having seven sisters:
- Janet Stewart (married Sir David de Moubray)
- Mary Stewart (married Sir William Abernathy, 6th of Saltoun)
- Margaret Stewart (married to Sir John Swinton, 14th of that IlkSir John Swinton, 14th of that IlkSir John Swinton, great-grandson of Henry de Swinton who appears on the Ragman Roll, was a distinguished soldier and statesman in the reigns of Robert II of Scotland and Robert III of Scotland. -France, Hundred Years War:...
) - Joan Stewart (married Sir Robert Stewart, Lord of Lorn)
- Beatrice Stewart (married Sir James Douglas, 7th Earl of DouglasJames Douglas, 7th Earl of DouglasJames Douglas, 7th Earl of Douglas, 1st Earl of Avondale , known as "the Gross", was a Scottish nobleman. He was the second son of Archibald Douglas, 3rd Earl of Douglas and Joan Moray of Bothwell and Drumsargard , d...
) - Isabella (Isobel) Stewart (married to Alexander LeslieAlexander Leslie, Earl of RossAlexander Leslie, Earl of Ross was a Scottish nobleman. Born between 1367 and 1382, he was the son of Walter Leslie, Lord of Ross and Euphemia I, Countess of Ross. In around 1394 he became Earl of Ross and sometime before 1398 he married Isabel Stewart, daughter of Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany....
, 7th Earl of RossEarl of RossThe Mormaer or Earl of Ross was the leader of a medieval Gaelic lordship in northern Scotland, roughly between the River Oykel and the River Beauly.-Origins and transfers:...
and later to Walter de Haliburton, 1st Lord Haliburton of DirletonWalter de Haliburton, 1st Lord Haliburton of DirletonSir Walter de Haliburton, 1st Lord Haliburton of Dirleton was Lord High Treasurer of Scotland.The eldest son of Sir John Haliburton of Dirleton, East Lothian , by his spouse Margaret, daughter of Sir John Cameron, Sir Walter was one of the hostages for King James I on March 28, 1424 and was...
) - Lady Marjorie Stewart (married to Sir Duncan Campbell, 1st Lord CampbellDuncan Campbell, 1st Lord CampbellDuncan Campbell, 1st Lord Campbell Duncan Campbell, 1st Lord Campbell Duncan Campbell, 1st Lord Campbell (Classical Gaelic Donnchadh mac Cailein, and also called Donnchadh na-Adh of Loch Awe, (died 1453), was an important figure in Scottish affairs in the first half of the fifteenth century and...
)
His mother Margaret died in 1380, and his father Duke Robert married a second time, to Muriella de Keith, with whom he had four children, the elder of whom was John Stewart, 2nd Earl of Buchan
John Stewart, 2nd Earl of Buchan
John Stewart, Earl of Buchan was a Scottish nobleman and soldier who fought alongside Scotland's French allies during the Hundred Years War. In 1419 he was sent to France by his father the Duke of Albany, Regent of Scotland, with an army of 6,000 men...
(1381–1424).
In 1389, at around age 27, Murdoch was appointed Justiciar North of the Forth
Justiciar of Scotia
The Justiciar of Scotia was the most senior legal office in the High Medieval Kingdom of Scotland. Scotia in this context refers to Scotland to the north of the River Forth and River Clyde....
. Father and son would now work together to expand their family interest, bringing them into violent confrontation with other members of the nobility such as Donald McDonald, 2nd Lord of the Isles
Domhnall of Islay, Lord of the Isles
Donald, or properly, Dómhnall Íle , was the son and successor of John of Islay, Lord of the Isles and chief of Clan Donald. The Lordship of the Isles was based in and around the Scottish west-coast island of Islay, but under Domhnall's father had come to include many of the other islands off the...
.
War and Capture
Kingdom of England
The Kingdom of England was, from 927 to 1707, a sovereign state to the northwest of continental Europe. At its height, the Kingdom of England spanned the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and several smaller outlying islands; what today comprises the legal jurisdiction of England...
in the early 15th century and was captured at the Battle of Homildon Hill, which took place on September 14, 1402 in Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Led by Archibald Douglas, 4th Earl of Douglas, the Scottish army had invaded England on a pillaging expedition, in part to avenge the killing and capture of Scottish nobles in the Battle of Nesbit Moor
Battle of Nesbit Moor
The Battle of Nesbit Moor was a small but significant clash between Scottish and English forces in the borders area north of the River Tweed. Specifically this clash took place on the Kimmerghame Estate in a field now named Slaughter Field...
on 22 June 1402. While returning to Scotland, they were intercepted by English forces led by Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland
Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland
Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland, 4th Baron Percy, titular King of Mann, KG, Lord Marshal was the son of Henry de Percy, 3rd Baron Percy and a descendent of Henry III of England. His mother was Mary of Lancaster, daughter of Henry, 3rd Earl of Lancaster, son of Edmund, Earl of Leicester and...
. The result was a decisive defeat of the Scottish army. William Shakespeare later wrote, in the play Henry IV, part 1
Henry IV, Part 1
Henry IV, Part 1 is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written no later than 1597. It is the second play in Shakespeare's tetralogy dealing with the successive reigns of Richard II, Henry IV , and Henry V...
:
Ten thousand bold Scots, two and twenty knights,
Balk’d in their own blood did Sir Walter see
On Holmedon’s plains. Of prisoners, Hotspur took
Mordake the Earl of Fife, and eldest son
To beaten Douglas; and the Earl of AtholEarl of AthollThe Mormaer of Earl of Atholl refers to a medieval comital lordship straddling the highland province of Atholl , now in northern Perthshire. Atholl is a special Mormaerdom, because a King of Atholl is reported from the Pictish period. The only other two Pictish kingdoms to be known from...
,
Of Murray, Angus, and Menteith:
And is not this an honourable spoil?
A gallant prize? ha, cousin, is it not?
---Shakespeare, Henry IV, part 1Henry IV, Part 1Henry IV, Part 1 is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written no later than 1597. It is the second play in Shakespeare's tetralogy dealing with the successive reigns of Richard II, Henry IV , and Henry V...
, act 1, scene 1.
Murdoch Stewart (described above as "Mordake the Earl of Fife") would be a prisoner in England for the next twelve years.
Politics
David Stewart, Duke of Rothesay
David Stewart was the heir to the throne of Scotland from 1390 and the first Duke of Rothesay from 1398. He also held the titles of Earl of Atholl and Earl of Carrick...
, died in Falkland Palace
Falkland Palace
Falkland Palace in Falkland, Fife, Scotland, is a former royal palace of the Scottish Kings. Today it is in the care of the National Trust for Scotland, and serves as a tourist attraction.-Early years:...
while under his uncle's protection. King Robert III of Scotland, fearful that his younger son Prince James, the heir to the throne of Scotland, would suffer the same fate, sent him out of the kingdom to escape Albany's clutches. In 1406 James boarded the Maryenknyght, a ship from Danzig that was bound for France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, but on 22 March 1406 the ship was taken by English pirates off Flamborough Head
Flamborough Head
Flamborough Head is a promontory of on the Yorkshire coast of England, between the Filey and Bridlington bays of the North Sea. It is a chalk headland, and the resistance it offers to coastal erosion may be contrasted with the low coast of Holderness to the south...
and James was delivered as a prisoner to King Henry IV of England
Henry IV of England
Henry IV was King of England and Lord of Ireland . He was the ninth King of England of the House of Plantagenet and also asserted his grandfather's claim to the title King of France. He was born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, hence his other name, Henry Bolingbroke...
. Soon afterwards, on 4 April 1406 King Robert III
Robert III of Scotland
Robert III was King of Scots from 1390 to his death. His given name was John Stewart, and he was known primarily as the Earl of Carrick before ascending the throne at age 53...
died, leaving Scotland without a King. Prince James, now the heir to the throne of Scotland, would suffer 18 years of detention in England. In his absence the Albany Stewarts took the reins of power, and Murdoch's father, Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany, became Governor of Scotland, king in all but name.
At this time Murdoch Stewart was still a prisoner in England, but in 1416 he was exchanged for Henry Percy, 2nd Earl of Northumberland
Henry Percy, 2nd Earl of Northumberland
Henry Percy, 2nd Earl of Northumberland was an English nobleman and military commander in the lead up to the Wars of the Roses. He was the son of Henry "Hotspur" Percy, and the grandson of Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland...
, and he returned to Scotland. The Albany Stewarts took James's lands under their own control, depriving the king of income and any of the regalia of his position. James was referred to in the official records as merely 'the son of the late king'.
Governor of Scotland and Duke of Albany
In 1420, on his father's death, Murdoch, now aged 58, finally inherited the Dukedom of AlbanyDuke of Albany
Duke of Albany is a peerage title that has occasionally been bestowed on the younger sons in the Scottish, and later the British, royal family, particularly in the Houses of Stuart and Hanover....
. He also inherited the Earldom of Fife
Earl of Fife
The Earl of Fife or Mormaer of Fife referred to the Gaelic comital lordship of Fife which existed in Scotland until the early 15th century....
and the Earldom of Menteith
Earl of Menteith
The Mormaer or Earl of Menteith was originally the ruler of the province of Menteith in the Middle Ages. The first mormaer is usually regarded as Gille Críst, simply because he is the earliest on record. The title was held in a continuous line from Gille Crist until Muireadhach IV , although the...
, and at last became Governor of Scotland in his own right. He would hold this position from 1420 to 1424, while King James I was still held captive in England. Few serious attempts appear to have been made by Duke Albany to return James to Scotland, but eventually political pressure compelled Murdoch to agree to a general council.
Ransom and return of James I
Durham
Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...
on 28 March 1424 to which James attached his own seal—he and his queen accompanied by an escort of English and Scottish nobles proceeded to Melrose Abbey
Melrose Abbey
Melrose Abbey is a Gothic-style abbey in Melrose, Scotland. It was founded in 1136 by Cistercian monks, on the request of King David I of Scotland. It was headed by the Abbot or Commendator of Melrose. Today the abbey is maintained by Historic Scotland...
arriving on 5 April where he met Albany to receive the governor's seal of office. Upon the return of James I
James I of Scotland
James I, King of Scots , was the son of Robert III and Annabella Drummond. He was probably born in late July 1394 in Dunfermline as youngest of three sons...
to Scotland, Albany lost his position as Regent.
James now began to consolidate his position. His coronation took place at Scone
Scone Abbey
Scone Abbey was a house of Augustinian canons based at Scone, Perthshire , Scotland. Varying dates for the foundation have been given, but it was certainly founded between 1114 and 1122....
on 21 May 1424. At his coronation parliament the king—probably with the intent of securing a cohesive political community loyal to the crown—knighted 18 prominent nobles including Albany's son Alexander Stewart.
At this stage, it is probable that the king felt unable to move against the Albany Stewarts while Murdoch's brother, John Stewart, Earl of Buchan and Archibald Douglas, 4th Earl of Douglas were fighting the English in France alongside their Dauphin
Dauphin
The Dauphin of France —strictly, The Dauphin of Viennois —was the title given to the heir apparent to the throne of France from 1350 to 1791, and from 1824 to 1830...
ist French allies. Buchan was a soldier with an international reputation, and commanded the large Scottish army of around 6,000 men, a formidable force. In addition he was Constable of France
Constable of France
The Constable of France , as the First Officer of the Crown, was one of the original five Great Officers of the Crown of France and Commander in Chief of the army. He, theoretically, as Lieutenant-general of the King, outranked all the nobles and was second-in-command only to the King...
, making him the effective commander of the entire French army. However, both he and Douglas were killed at the Battle of Verneuil
Battle of Verneuil
The Battle of Verneuil was a battle of the Hundred Years' War, fought on 17 August 1424 near Verneuil in Normandy and was a significant English victory.-The black time:...
in August 1424 and the Scottish army was routed—the loss of these Albany allies with their fighting force left Murdoch politically exposed. James would move swiftly against his Albany Stewart relatives soon afterwards.
Arrest
Caerlaverock Castle
Caerlaverock Castle is a moated triangular castle, built in the 13th century, in the Caerlaverock National Nature Reserve area at the Solway Firth, south of Dumfries in the southwest of Scotland. In the Middle Ages it was owned by the Maxwell family. Today, the castle is in the care of Historic...
. His wife Isabella was captured in the family's fortified castle of Doune
Doune Castle
Doune Castle is a medieval stronghold near the village of Doune, in the Stirling district of central Scotland. The castle is sited on a wooded bend where the Ardoch Burn flows into the River Teith. It lies north-west of Stirling, where the Teith flows into the River Forth...
, their favourite residence, and committed to Tantallon Castle
Tantallon Castle
Tantallon Castle is a mid-14th-century fortress, located east of North Berwick, in East Lothian, Scotland. It sits atop a promontory opposite the Bass Rock, looking out onto the Firth of Forth...
.
The king's rage at Duke Murdoch had its roots in the past. James's older brother David Stewart, Duke of Rothesay
David Stewart, Duke of Rothesay
David Stewart was the heir to the throne of Scotland from 1390 and the first Duke of Rothesay from 1398. He also held the titles of Earl of Atholl and Earl of Carrick...
had died young, in Falkland Castle
Falkland Palace
Falkland Palace in Falkland, Fife, Scotland, is a former royal palace of the Scottish Kings. Today it is in the care of the National Trust for Scotland, and serves as a tourist attraction.-Early years:...
, while in the care of Murdoch's father, Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany. Though Albany had been exonerated by Parliament, the suspicion of foul play remained. Moreover, neither Duke Robert nor his son Murdoch had greatly exerted themselves in negotiating James's release while in English captivity. This may well have left James with the suspicion that the Albany Stewarts had personal designs on the throne of Scotland.
At this time Albany's other son Walter was already in prison. Only James, Murdoch's youngest son (also known as James the Fat
James the Fat
James Mor Stewart, called James the Fat, was the youngest son of Murdoch Stewart, Duke of Albany and Isabella of Lennox. When his father and brothers were executed by King James I for treason in 1425, James led a rebellion against the king, taking the town of Dumbarton and killing the keeper of...
) was able to escape James's vengeance. He escaped into the Lennox, where he began to organise a revolt, leading the men of Lennox and Argyll in open rebellion against the crown. This resort to violence by Albany's youngest son may have been what the king needed to bring a charge of treason against the Albany Stewarts.
Trial and execution
Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most important castles, both historically and architecturally, in Scotland. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, an intrusive crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological formation. It is surrounded on three sides by steep...
for their trial on 18 May 1424, at a specially convened parliament in the presence of the King. An assize of seven earls and fourteen lesser nobles heard the evidence that linked the prisoners to the rebellion in the Lennox—in a hurried trial lasting just one day the four men were found guilty of treason.
The jury which condemned them was composed of 21 knights and Peers, including Albany's cousin Walter Stewart, Earl of Atholl, Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Douglas
Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Douglas
Archibald Douglas was a Scottish nobleman and General, son of Archibald Douglas, 4th Earl of Douglas and Margaret Stewart, eldest daughter of Robert III...
, Alexander, Earl of Ross and Lord of the Isles, and Alexander Stewart, Earl of Mar
Alexander Stewart, Earl of Mar
-Biography:He was an illegitimate son of Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan and probably Mairead inghean Eachann.Alexander held the Earldom of Mar and the Lordship of the Garioch in right of his first wife Isabel Douglas, Countess of Mar . Alexander's marriage to Isabella followed his capture of...
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Walter was condemned on 24 May. Albany and his son Alexander were tried before the same jury the following day. All the prisoners were then publicly beheaded on Heading Hill "in front of" Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most important castles, both historically and architecturally, in Scotland. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, an intrusive crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological formation. It is surrounded on three sides by steep...
. Albany was attainted and all of his peerage titles were forfeited. He was buried at Blackfriars' Church, Stirling
Blackfriars, Stirling
The Church of the Friars Preachers of St Laurence, Stirling, commonly called Blackfriars, was a mendicant friary of the Dominican Order founded in the 13th century at Stirling, Scotland. The Chronica Extracta and John Spottiswoode alleged that the Stirling Dominican house was founded by King...
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In the destruction of his close family, the Albany Stewarts, James I was able to secure the substantial rents from the family's three forfeited earldoms of Fife, Menteith and Lennox, a blow from which the Albany Stewarts never recovered.
Marriage and children
Murdoch was married to IsabellaIsabella, Countess of Lennox
Isabella of Lennox was the ruler of Lennox, from 1437–1458, and last in the line of Mormaers or Native Scottish rulers. As the wife of Murdoch Stewart, 2nd Duke of Albany , she was also Duchess of Albany , but in 1425 her family would be almost completely destroyed when her husband, father and two...
, daughter of Donnchadh, Earl of Lennox
Donnchadh, Earl of Lennox
Donnchadh of Lennox was the Mormaer of Lennox, 1385-1425. He was a son of Baltar mac Amlaimh and Margaret, daughter of Domhnall, Earl of Lennox....
. They had four sons and a daughter:
- Robert Stewart (d. 1421)
- Walter Stewart (executed 1425)
- Alasdair Stewart (executed 1425)
- James the FatJames the FatJames Mor Stewart, called James the Fat, was the youngest son of Murdoch Stewart, Duke of Albany and Isabella of Lennox. When his father and brothers were executed by King James I for treason in 1425, James led a rebellion against the king, taking the town of Dumbarton and killing the keeper of...
(Seamas Mòr) Stewart, fled to Ireland and died in 1429. - Isabel, who married Sir Walter Buchanan, 13th Laird of Buchanan
Legacy
James the Fat
James Mor Stewart, called James the Fat, was the youngest son of Murdoch Stewart, Duke of Albany and Isabella of Lennox. When his father and brothers were executed by King James I for treason in 1425, James led a rebellion against the king, taking the town of Dumbarton and killing the keeper of...
who, after his failed rebellion, escaped to Ireland following the execution of his father and brothers. James remained in Ireland, unable to return, and died there in 1429. He was never able to inherit his father's titles, since they had been declared forfeit. Albany's grandson, James "Beg" Stewart
James "Beg" Stewart
James "Beag" Stewart of Baldorran was the seventh illegitimate son of James Mor Stewart , who fled into exile in Ireland when his father Murdoch Stewart, Duke of Albany was executed for treason by James I of Scotland in 1425...
, (c1410-1470) would eventually secure a pardon from the King and return to Scotland, though the family would never recover their lost estates. James "Beg" Stewart is the ancestor of the Stewarts of Ardvorlich
John Stewart of Ardvorlich
Major John Stewart Of Ardvorlich was a Scottish military officer and the author of several authoritative works on the history of various Scottish clans.-Published works:...
on Lochearnside, whose family history is recounted by Sir Walter Scott in A Legend of Montrose
A Legend of Montrose
A Legend of Montrose is an historical novel by Sir Walter Scott, set in Scotland in the 1640s during the Civil War. It forms, along with The Bride of Lammermoor, the 3rd series of Scott's Tales of My Landlord...
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Albany's wife, Isabella of Lennox, survived the judicial murder of her family, though she was forced to spend eight years as a royal hostage at Tantallon Castle
Tantallon Castle
Tantallon Castle is a mid-14th-century fortress, located east of North Berwick, in East Lothian, Scotland. It sits atop a promontory opposite the Bass Rock, looking out onto the Firth of Forth...
. In 1437, after the death of James I, she at last recovered her lands and title. In the next few years, although forced to govern her province from Loch Lomond
Loch Lomond
Loch Lomond is a freshwater Scottish loch, lying on the Highland Boundary Fault. It is the largest lake in Great Britain by surface area. The lake contains many islands, including Inchmurrin, the largest fresh-water island in the British Isles, although the lake itself is smaller than many Irish...
, she issued a large numbers of charters, was popular in the province, and was tolerated by James's successor, King James II of Scotland
James II of Scotland
James II reigned as King of Scots from 1437 to his death.He was the son of James I, King of Scots, and Joan Beaufort...
.